Lead is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. It interferes with the development of the nervous system and is particularly toxic to children, causing potentially permanent learning and behavior disorders. Symptoms include abdominal pain, confusion, headache, anemia, irritability, and in severe cases seizures, coma, and death. Routes of exposure include contaminated air, water, soil, food, and consumer products. Occupational exposure is a common cause of lead poisoning in adults. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that more than 3 million workers in the United States are potentially exposed to lead in the workplace. One of the largest threats to children is lead paint that exists in many older homes. Blood lead levels screen for lead poisoning and monitor treatment as well. The Centers for Disease Control (US) has set the standard elevated blood lead level for adults to be 10 µg/dl of the whole blood. For children the number is set much lower at 5 µg/dl of blood as of 2012 down from a previous 10 µg/dl. The major treatments are removal of the source of lead and chelation therapy. [Wikipedia: Lead_poisoning] Both capillary and venous blood specimens are used for lead testing and they have different reference ranges, so it is important to distinguish the specimen type for both clinical and public health reporting. Capillary samples are more likely to be contaminated by environmental residues present on the skin. Venous blood collected using evacuated tubes and needles certified as lead-free is preferred (NCCLS.2001), however obtaining venous samples from pediatric patients may be be difficult, capillary blood from a finger puncture may be used for screening purposes. If an elevated lead level is detected in capillary blood, a second test on a venous sample is necessary.

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Greek (GREECE) (From: Regenstrief-generated full translation based on part translation provided by Efstratia Kontaxi, MD, MSc, and Evripidis Stefanidis, MD, with technical support from Panagiotis Kontaxis, Diploma of Electrical and Computer Engineering.)